Two communities come together to share championship dreams

Fitzgerald was out of timeouts and the last drive was something Heard County and their staff practiced -- every day...

“We go through PAT and field goal every day -- even all through the summer,” Heard County head coach Shane Lasseter tells me. “And we stress all the important things when we break the huddle. So, yes, we had talked about how we wanted to end the game on the field goal attempt. Mack Googe, our kicker, wanted the ball on the right hash. So, that’s where we had the ball. We had called the timeout ourselves with two seconds left and he hit the kick for the win.”

The game with Fitzgerald in Franklin was everything anyone watching from the outside expected. Back and forth. Momentum shifts of large proportions and a game decided at the end. I had referenced a few boxing analogies when I caught up with Coach Lasseter and he told me that was the messaging he and the staff relayed all week.

“Everyone knew they were a good team coming in,” he admits. “But you’re 100-percent accurate. All week long we told our players, like any good boxer, it’s not about expecting to get hit. But can you withstand the blows? There were three major rounds for us. The one where we were up 17-0. Then, the one where they scored 28 unanswered points. Then, the comeback. Really, we were down 11 points with six minutes to go, scored, got a stop, withstood their pressure, and came back to win.”

When Heard County was down 11, the focus was going play-to-play and not looking at the idea of a win or a loss. Coach Lasseter says the seniors and the coaches were carrying the “refuse to lose” mindset from the third to the fourth quarter as time was running out. Quarterback Ethan Tisdale threw a TD pass to Zay Moreland to get the margin to 38-36. Fitzgerald was stopped by the Braves defense and the home team got their last possession from their 13-yard line with a little more than four minutes to go.

“The biggest thing on that last drive was just living in the moment,” he says. “It was about keeping an eye on our time management and feeling good about kicking the field goal. It’s something we repped a million times. So, I was more concerned about where we needed the ball for the kick.”

To be able to share a 39-38 win with your home fans is always special as you work your way through the bracket in Class A Division I. Heard, because of power rankings, welcomes everyone to campus as the top-ranked team all the way to the end. But one of the leading receivers and senior leaders is another Lasseter -- his son, Max. One of the leading receivers this season, the ride has been special.

“When you see it from the ‘coach’ perspective and the ‘dad’ perspective, it has been really special. There were points on Friday night where he demanded the ball. After one catch late, he broke five tackles and dragged folks about 30 yards. To see the complete energy he gave out there, as a dad... I’m not gonna lie...it was awesome.”

Shane gets a senior and a freshman on the roster this season -- the first time two Lasseters have been on the sideline dressed out and he’s soaking it up all he can as a dad. Max wants to play all 15 games this year and there’s a chance for two more.

Shane’s wife, Nickie, is front and center with all of this and she was understandably emotional with the ebbs and flows of Friday. It could have been the last game of the year and the last game for this group of seniors that include Max.

“It’s an added benefit for me when I get home to see her,” Shane tells me as you can feel the smile through the phone. “There have been times where we have had 12 kids sleeping in our living room after a game. She’s so attached. But, yes, games like Friday make her an emotional wreck -- even as, when it’s over, she’s tickled to death to see the boys win.”

Toombs County travels from Lyons this week -- a massive matchup for a chance to go to The Benz. Coach Lasseter knows it’ll be standing room only, for sure, with two great fan bases and towns. One thing I didn’t know is you have a coaching clash of styles and information gathering -- three coaches are back this year, including the Curbows -- Randall and Daniel -- and former head coach Tim Barron. The new guys have their technology and, I imagine, coaches like Tim have their legal pads and dry erase boards to get their message across.

Get your tickets early... that’s all I’ll say...   

Caption

The Early County football team takes center stage in the town of Blakely.

Credit: Early County Touchdown Club Facebook

Early County, when you’re in the county seat of Blakely, is 13 miles from the Alabama border and 25 miles from the Florida border. So, it’s easy to think the Bobcats and Region 1 in Class A Division II are overlooked. If you look at it straight from that geography standpoint, it’s logical. 

So, I consulted my dear friend Jay Palmer about how successful the team has been while the rest of us haven’t been looking. 

“This season is par for the course,” and yes Jay is the son of the late Tommy Palmer, who was part of the GPB-TV family for years. Jay is a great resource for high school football history and knows the landscape down there. He currently writes for the local paper and has even spent time as an assistant for the team.

Yes, he’s his father’s son... and the first guy I call...

Caption

The Early County captains, some of them four-year veterans, gather for the coin flip.

Credit: Early County Touchdown Club Facebook

Frank Killingsworth’s time as a head coach at Early County drifts back to the early 1990’s at Calhoun County. He would return in the mid-2000s at Miller County for seven seasons before another decade away from being a head coach. Now, in his third season as head coach at Early it’s a third straight postseason berth. They haven’t lost to a Class A team in 2025 and wait for Lincoln County Friday.

“They’ve gotten better every week,” Jay tells me (I think I interrupted dinner -- and for that I apologize). “We live in a part of the state where, frankly, there’s not a heck of a lot to do on a Friday night. With the football team, it centers activity around that here. It’s like having one of your own out on the field -- even if you don’t have family playing.”

You have former star running backs now a part of the coaching staff and Jay reminds me that he’s known families since the then-young kids -- now coaches -- were sixth and eighth graders around campus. 

“It, officially, makes me old,” Jay says with his big laugh. And he can call a Defensive Coordinator by their “Bambi” nickname -- I know I can’t -- with Early County grad Laversay Taylor evolving from star defensive back to teaching with a headset these days. It’s about quarterbacks whose dads play golf with people they were coached by in their formative years. It’s as much about Dee Grist playing and coaching and Coach Killingsworth as an assistant principal and offensive coordinator before moving over to the top spot.

“We’re a small community and you get to watch everyone’s kids grow up,” Jay says. He now writes for the local paper after days in radio and education around the state. 

Caption

Local families, organizations and churches provide the pregame meal for Early County players.

Credit: Early County Touchdown Club Facebook

“They’ve gotten better every week,” Jay says. And after two non-region, non-class losses to start the schedule, they ran through region and lost to Eufaula (Ala.) to wrap the regular season. Early has been a top-ten ranked team for most of the year and are in their first semifinal since 2006. “But,” as Jay reminds me, “they’re going up against one of the most renowned teams in state history when they come here this week.

“It’ll be a fun Friday night.”

Of that I have no doubt... and we’ll be watching to see who makes it to The Benz...

Play it safe, everyone... I’ll see you soon...